Scott Flory throws the coin toss at the Homecoming game.

The Huskies played their homecoming game against the Calgary Dinos at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park on Sept. 14. The game was dedicated to legendary former Huskies player and coach Brian Towriss, whose contributions and legacy were collectively appreciated prior to kickoff.

Towriss’s accomplishments and time with the team were acknowledged in an address that concluded with the renaming of Stadium Crescent as Brian Towriss Crescent. After this announcement, Towriss thanked his family, donors and fans for making it all possible — and then it was time to start the game.

The match did not look good for the Huskies from the start. They went to halftime with a score of 21-13, and despite some good plays in the final quarter, their efforts only brought them to a 37-28 loss.

Jerry Friesen, special teams co-ordinator and acting head coach for the game, says that — despite the defeat — the challenging match was good preparation for future games.

“Now, we have to really go back and critique,” Friesen said. “There are some good quarterbacks in this conference, and if we want to take this one step further every game, we have to get better.”

Bowan Lewis, Huskies defensive back and third-year Edwards School of Business student, discusses how the end score reflected the Dinos’ strengths as well as some mistakes on the Huskies’ side.

“Calgary is a great, well-coached team — they came out in different formations we haven’t seen before, and we just had to adjust to them,” Lewis said. “A few mistakes were made on our part, and they capitalized on them — props to them.”

Colton Klassen, running back for the Huskies and third-year arts and science student, is optimistic about the team’s future performance, highlighting the fact that they held off the Calgary Dinos at 37, when their two previous games this season have ended in scores of 49 and 57.

“A lot of guys stepped up, a lot of guys on offence made big plays, and I think this is a good learning curve for us — I think we showed that we can put big plays up,”  Klassen said. “Looking at the game, there’s gonna be a lot of stuff we can learn from, but I’m confident in this group of guys, and I think we are gonna learn from it and come out strong next week.”

For students of the U of S, the homecoming game is a rite of passage — whether or not the home team wins the match. School spirit was front and centre for the first-year students present, with the toga run as a featured event.

Nathalie Baquerizo, first-year chemical engineering student, attended and enjoyed the game for its role as a traditional part of student life.

“I’m an international student, so this is my first [North] American football game. It’s kinda hard to follow — I don’t really know what’s going on — but I wanted to have the full college experience and support the team,” Baquerizo said. “I’d recommend students come here, at least once, to have the experience.”

Thomas Garchinski, first-year microbiology student, joined over one hundred students in the long-standing tradition of the toga run, another main draw for those attending the homecoming game. For him, homecoming was about meeting new people and being part of the university atmosphere.

“I’m here for the toga run, but I always come to the football games to meet people. If you are willing to talk to people, it’s easy to make friends here,” Garchinski said. “The toga run was so good — an experience and a half. You feel like you are part of something, like you are part of the school.”

The Huskies will be back at 7 p.m. on Sept. 21 for a provincial showdown against the University of Regina Rams at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park.

—

Ana Cristina Camacho / Staff Writer

Photo: Riley Deacon / Photo Editor